What Multi fuel stove to buy? First time buyer - help please!

Delilahgal

I am looking at buying a multi fuel fire in the next few weeks, however am getting conflicting advice from various suppliers and there appears to be limited reviews online for the makes I am interested (wouldn't you know!).

I appreciate that many people only have experience with perhaps one make of fire, as their fires hopefully last a lifetime, however any advice and particularly from those with the same makes or knowledge relating to these would be gratefully received.

I am looking at the Dimplex and Fireline range. However one fire supplier informed me that while he stocks both fire, he has heard from other individuals who have bought Dimplex fires that they do not burn as nicely as the Fireline range?! Yet while I have found that Fireline is a GB company, it is not clear whether they make these fires or not... I do note that the fireline range we are looking at are not pure cast iron however the Dimplex are. Can anyone give us advice, as we were leaning towards the Dimplex before we were "warned" about them, as I thought they were a good make, had a 10 year warranty and were 100% cast iron.

We are looking to spend £600-750 for a 5kw multi fuel.

Thanks for your help in advance!

A._Badger

Delilahgal wrote: »

I am looking at buying a multi fuel fire in the next few weeks, however am getting conflicting advice from various suppliers and there appears to be limited reviews online for the makes I am interested (wouldn't you know!).

I appreciate that many people only have experience with perhaps one make of fire, as their fires hopefully last a lifetime, however any advice and particularly from those with the same makes or knowledge relating to these would be gratefully received.

I am looking at the Dimplex and Fireline range. However one fire supplier informed me that while he stocks both fire, he has heard from other individuals who have bought Dimplex fires that they do not burn as nicely as the Fireline range?! Yet while I have found that Fireline is a GB company, it is not clear whether they make these fires or not... I do note that the fireline range we are looking at are not pure cast iron however the Dimplex are. Can anyone give us advice, as we were leaning towards the Dimplex before we were "warned" about them, as I thought they were a good make, had a 10 year warranty and were 100% cast iron.

We are looking to spend £600-750 for a 5kw multi fuel.

Thanks for your help in advance!

Frankly, I wouldn't buy either. Dimplex is not a long-established stove maker - it's an electrical heating company in origin and I imagine it is simply cashing-in on the fashion for stoves. Fireline, I have never seen.

Cast iron, by the way, is no guarantee of anything and in some respects is inferior to steel. Don't be suckered by the retailer's patter about cast iron. Some of the world's best and most expensive stoves are made from steel - for very good engneering reasons.

I would suggest looking at a stove from one of the British firms that have been long established - Charnwood, for example is always spoken of very well, or perhaps Dunsley, or Esse.

If you read back on this forum you will see lots of (sometimes quite passionate) debate which might help. Also, if you haven't found it, you could go to whatstove.co.uk but be a bit cautious as some of the reviews on there are from people justifiyig their own purchasing decisions, while others are by people who clearly haven't a clue how to run the stoves they (say they) have bought.

I would also suggest you consult as many retailers as you can and ideally stockists who have been around a few years. This is a tricky market with a fair few cowboys in it trying to get a piece of the lucrative craze for wood stoves.

Maybe come back to us with a shortlist after a bit more research?.

muckybutt

Dunsley - Jotul - Morso all within your price bracket and all a LOT better than the ones you mentioned in your first post.

As badger says seriously look at steel than just cast stoves, I have had 2 cast stoves and currently have a Charnwood Cove which is steel body and cast door, the difference between the three is vast with the steel one winning hands down for build quality...and it's British !

cynicalgit_2

Have owned a number of stoves in the past.
By far and away the best was Clearview.
However they're not cheap and may not be in your price range.
I agree with the previous posters, Morso are good too.
I would thoroughly recommend you have the chimney lined it makes a helluva difference.
The choice of stoves is vast go to a showroom and have a good look.
Remember buy cheap buy twice.

MrsDavo

I won't claim to know much about stoves as we only just had ours installed this summer.

However we looked at a lot of stoves, fire line was one we looked at. In the end we found one we loved in a local showroom, but the only stockist in our area of these particular stoves. The Dean Stoves Dartmoor range.

I have a picture on here somewhere of our stove if you want to have a look.

In our local showroom it cost £900 but we were lucky in that we were off to Cornwall and got it from the stockist there for £745. Just brought it back up!

We started looking at £250 stoves, that moved to £500, then £750 and then that one we saw at £900!

Previous poster is correct, and we were told numerous times to buy the best with our budget and spend the highest you can afford on it.

A lot of our visitors who have stoves theirselves have been surprised and asked us how we manage to keep the glass so clean.... Well we clean it is the answer! Lol

This forum is great for tips and tricks to look after your stove.

I've not worked out exactly how much it cost us in total to install, because we had to have the fireplace opened up. But the stove was £745 and the install of that was £850. Then builder to pay, bricks to buy, wood mantle to buy, so all in all I'm sure it cost us in the region of £2500! Then there's the wood ( although we have a free supply of wood pallets )

It's not cheap but so worth it!

Dieselman

We are looking to spend £600-750 for a 5kw multi fuel.

I paid £660.00 for a Villager 9kw

Buy British what ever you buy as spare parts will be easier to find and your guarantee will be backed up.

Chinese stuff waste of time.

That's my opinion.;)

No4_Winder

Delilah.
If you're going for a new stove make sure it will also heat up your water cylinder for your hot water and also warm up your bathroom rad.

I have a 7kw Multi- Fuel which, in winter, gives us plenty of hot water and keeps the bathroom nice and cosy.

Saving quite a bit by not needing the immersion-heater switched on for baths etc.

Good luck with it.

Delilahgal

We only want the fire to heat the downstairs as we have a new combi boiler to heat the water, but thanks.

I think we have decided to go with the Charnwood; due to the good reviews.

Thanks very much for all your help, it was much appreciated and exactly what we needed :beer:

Dieselman

If you open the door it will flow upstairs and no need to have the gas boiler on for so long.

In winter i fire it with coals and it burns through the night the door is open so a nice warm house.:D

cynicalgit_2

Dieselman wrote: »

If you open the door it will flow upstairs and no need to have the gas boiler on for so long.

In winter i fire it with coals and it burns through the night the door is open so a nice warm house.:D

Agree with that!
By mixing small amounts of Taybrite in with the wood you can certainly keep the stove going overnight!
Moreover the dry heat they radiate prevents a lot of damp and condensation problems. If this winter turns out as bad as last year you will be very pleased to have a stove.
Stoves are brilliant but you will find yourselves dusting more often!

suisidevw

You won't regret the Charnwood, I have the C4 and it's absolutely brilliant.

Oh and I don't have to clean the glass due to the clean burn airwash system!